Xiaomi has introduced the Redmi Note 5 Pro at a starting price of Rs 13,999. While its features certainly look impressive on papers, here is how the smartphone performs in everyday use.

Xiaomi has introduced the Redmi Note 5 Pro in India as a mid-segment smartphone offering. Being Xiaomi's first launch in the year 2018, Xiaomi has made sure that it is a good one. On Papers, the Redmi Note 5 Pro has to offer almost everything that one can ask for, right from a nearly bezel-less design to a dual camera setup at the back. But how the Xiaomi smartphone fairs in a practical everyday use, we find out in this first impressions review

Xiaomi has gone for a very appealing design with the Redmi Note 5 Pro, with minimum bezels and a good 5.99-inch display embedded in a shell with a metallic finish. This, and the vertical dual camera setup at the back give the smartphone quite a premium look. The front camera module is placed neatly on the top bezel, while the bottom bezel is left empty. The speakers have been shifted to the chin, while a USB 2.0 port and an IR Blaster has been embedded on the top. The power button and the volume rockers have been placed on the right. There is also a fingerprint sensor at the back.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro comes with an enhanced processor as compared to that on the Redmi Note 5. Xiaomi has used a Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 SoC for the Redmi Note 5 that makes it capable enough to handle multi-tasking and meet extensive user requirements efficiently. Playing heavy games and multi-tasking on the Redmi Note 5 Pro is quite a smooth affair.

It does lag at times though, not specific to any app or as per spike in the memory use but randomly. A simple tap on the home button brings it back to the working state on such occasions. In case one can ignore such hiccups, the Redmi Note 5 Pro gets a good thumbs up in this department.

The memory offerings are ample on paper, with a 4GB/ 6GB RAM and 64GB internal storage which is further expandable.

Camera

The cameras on the device are the USPs of the Redmi Note 5 Pro. Xiaomi claims to have used an AI-powered Computing engine on its smartphone’s cameras to enhance the overall image quality. And it does work well, with ample detailing, colours and an effective Bokeh effect in the produced images. The 20-megapixel selfie shooter at the front is just as capable as the 12-megapixel + 5-megapixel dual camera setup at the back and comes with an LED flashlight and Beautify 4.0 which helps in clicking selfies completely worthy of social media uploads.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro. (Image: Sarthak Dogra/ News18.com)

Battery

All the features are no good if the company doesn’t back them up with a good long-lasting battery backup. Xiaomi has taken care of this with a 4000 mAh battery and in our experience, it performs its task perfectly. The Redmi Note 5 Pro can easily deliver over a day’s battery backup. It charges at its own speed though, as the smartphone misses out on fast charging support.

Verdict

The Redmi Note 5 Pro is a complete package at Rs 13,999 (4GB RAM). It has a premium look and feel, offers a great screen-to-body ratio, has ample firepower and comes with a dual camera setup to offer depth effect in the photos. At this price, there is not much more that anyone can ask for. You may miss out on a dedicated slot for microSD, a USB Type-C connector or a front dual camera setup but then, the requirement of all these features is again subjective as per the user.

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